[RAS Korea] Off the beaten path in Gyeongju

Tomb of King Hyeokgeosae in autumn 2021 / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields

By Steven L. Shields

Just as autumn 2021 was descending on Korea, I went to Gyeongju before the colors had begun to change. The allure of the ancient capital of the peninsula, back when it was under the name of the Silla Kingdom (57 BCE―935 CE), garners my affection.

The friend I was traveling with asked me how many times I had visited the city. He recounted the few times he had been there (there are often school trips). I tried to count my visits to the magnificent place, beginning with my first time in 1976. A couple of years ago, I went there three times. Over the past 45 years, I suppose I have been there 20 or 30 times. I lost count.

My visits would start in the morning of the first full day at Seokguram, the grotto high on the mountain facing the East Sea, then to Bulguk Temple, and finally into the flatland of the city with the National Museum and so forth. Each visit has typically followed the same pattern, adding a few spots here and there, dropping some lesser-known places. In recent years, Woljeong Bridge has been added to the sights. The night views at Anapji are obligatory, but they now call it Donggung (East Palace), and the pond is Wolji.

My friend and I had last visited Gyeongju a couple of years ago, so we decided to go to places that we had not seen before this trip. We did not go up to Seokguram on our previous visit, so we needed to go there. We also did the night tour of Anapji. We took a long walk around Woljeong Bridge at night, viewing it from every angle and then walking across the bridge to return to the car. Though some have criticized the reconstruction design, the brilliant colors and the sheer size of the structure are impressive.

I had never been to before but wanted to visit the "Five Tombs" compound. The rarely visited tomb complex cannot compete with the city's excavated "Heavenly Horse" tomb. There, Tumuli Park is quite grand in scale, but only a few residents of the tombs are known. Historians have no idea who was buried in the "Heavenly Horse" tomb, just that it yielded some of the most magnificent artifacts of all the tombs excavated over the years.

The "Five Tombs" are in the far southwest of the ancient city but have substantial historical significance. Of the five tomb mounds, the most prominent is said to enclose the remains of Park Hyeokgeose, the legendary founding king of Silla. Legend says he was born from a gourd-shaped egg. Versions of the story talk about the simultaneous rising of the sun and the moon, a white horse, bright lights and a volcano. He is believed to be the progenitor of all the "Park" clans of Korea (of which there are more than 300). Said to have been born in 69 BCE and died 4 CE at age 73, Hyeokgeosae became king at age 12 or 13. The name Hyeokgeosae was an honorific, meaning "bright world." Historical facts from more than 2,000 years ago are a bit more challenging to verify, but his name is well-known.

As the capital city, Gyeongju was well-fortified from ancient times. Remains of several Silla-era fortresses can still be found in the surrounding mountain passes. One such fortress near the tomb of King Jinseong is Myeonghwal Fortress. It was one of the four primary fortresses protecting the capital. From history, we know Japanese troops attacked the fortress about 400 CE, so it had to have been built before that. Archaeologists uncovered a monument in 1988 that recorded a 551 CE reconstruction of the fortress. Earthen walls and unhewn stones made up the fortress' six kilometer circumference. There have been no attempts at reconstructing the entire fortress in modern times, but remnants have been stabilized. No other historical artifacts are available at the site.

Myeonghwal Fortress in autumn 2021 / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields

The Joseon-era Gyeongju Eupseong has been partially restored. Gyeongju's history does not end with the rise of the Goryeo Kingdom in the 900s. The town continued to be populated by people from all levels of society. Thus, it should be no surprise that the town was fortified during the Goryeo times and again in the mid-Joseon era following the Japanese invasions of the late 16th century. In the Joseon era, the city lay north of Tumuli Park. During the Japanese occupation of the early 20th century, the gates and walls were pulled down. The restored eastern gate and some of the ramparts make for a short but pleasant hike in the heart of the modern city. The government plans to restore the entirety of the walls and gates within the next decade.

Gyeongju's Joseon-era city wall in autumn 2021 / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields

One of the many temple sites that holds a special place is Bunhwang Temple. Close to the famous Hwangryong Temple (Golden Dragon Temple, which has been under archaeological study for years), all that remains of the historical Bunhwang Temple is the stone brick pagoda. The small prayer hall on the grounds dates from the Joseon era. The small temple site, set among lovely trees, is off the trail for most tourists these days, so it retains a bit of peaceful quietude compared with busier sites.

Bunhwang Temple in autumn 2021 / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields

In years past, Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea made regular tours to Gyeongju. Recently, before the pandemic, a twice-yearly team of students from MIT came to Korea, and RAS Korea's local experts would escort them for a three-day visit. Nowadays, getting from Seoul to Gyeongju is easy with the rapid rail service, and the city government provides free shuttle buses and multilanguage docents for visitors. No matter who you are or how you get there, Gyeongju is a must-see place for all visitors to Korea.

Rev. Steven L. Shields is president of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea (www.raskb.com) and columnist for The Korea Times. Visit raskb.com or email royalasiatickorea@gmail.com for more information about the society.

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